August 2013
Maybe many of you loved science fiction as a child (or even now as an adult). Research in new energy technologies is showing some results that one may expect to see in a page-turner. What is interesting is that these ideas are not necessarily energy saving, but energy optimizing; they enable the user to use energy only when needed and turn off when not. Here is a summary of some recent new technologies. Please do not take this blog article as an endorsement of any technology, product, or company. Do your own research to determine if any is right and at an affordable price for your situation.
LED Wallpaper, by Lynn Hoffman, AIA, LEED-AP, Lynn Hoffman Design, LLC
Wallpaper has been having a renaissance over the past few years. During a recent furniture Fair, I visited the Meystyle exhibitor booth and was quite impressed with the company’s wallpapers, which are embedded with LED lights and luxury Swarovski crystals. Their designs are digitally printed on high quality wallpapers, with the LED lights and crystals completely embedded into the material and intricately hand-applied. LED wallpapers offer innovative options to illuminate rooms and deliver great impact to spaces. The soft, little, mysterious lights hardly reveal where the twinkle of illumination is coming from, can replace standard light bulbs of ceiling fixtures or floor lamps, and use 90% less electricity. One big advantage of using LED wallpaper is it can be hung in more or fewer strips and lengths allowing various creative options. LED wallpaper is a way of bringing green energy to interiors and offering an alternative to wall art.
Copyright (c) 2013 Lynn Hoffman Design LLC All rights reserved.
Control and Integration of LED Lighting
Advanced Control Technologies (ACT) has a new product called “controlLED” tubes to provide building operators a way to control building lighting in a dynamic way. A simple connection to a signal conditioner attached to one of the controlLED tube fixtures provides control over multiple fixtures, allowing control of hundreds of different fixtures. These lights can coordinate with a Building Automation System (BAS) or allow for local ON/OFF or dimming. This flexibility allows the operator to specifically schedule individual LED light usage, such as turning on certain ones in certain areas during a given time period as needed. Local override is available when needed.
Smart Window Technology
Heliotrope, in conjunction with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, has developed a new window glass coating that leverages an electrochromic (EC) effect to allow control of light and heat transmission independently and dynamically. Windows with Heliotrope EC coatings can switch reversibly between transparency, heat blocking, and heat and light blocking controlled by low voltage using minimal power. Heliotrope is working with glass manufacturers to evaluate its potential for commercial and residential buildings.
CCES has the technical experts to help you assess and incorporate energy-optimizing and energy-saving technologies, whether conventional or “outside the box”.